Spring suspension of vehicles



T. MUNRO 1,859,105

SPRING SUSPENSION OF' VEHICLES May 17, 1932.

Filed May '7, 1929 ljyl' of Patented May 17, 1932 THOMASv MUNRO, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENSYLVANIA.

SPRING snsrniasioir or:` VEHICLES 15pm-ation iu'edYMay 7, 192e. serial No.'361,1 74.'

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in vehicle supporting springs and especially those designed to support passenger or other vehicles in such manner as to insure the utmost comfort in riding.

In the case of most if not all such springs,

they are composed of a plurality of leaves adapted to slide with respect to one another as the spring as a unit fiexes, one or b oth of the opposite ends of the longest leaf being connected by means of a shackle to the chassis frame. -In` contradistinction to this prevailing spring structure, the present invention ,pro-v vides for the use suitable thickness and relatively great width, so that at once all of the usual retardation or sluggishness of action due to friction between the several leaves of an ordinary spring is eliminated, while the ends of the single spring leaf are iiXedly secured preferably through the medium of sound-deadening material direct to the chassis frameand the leaf being provided with one or more co-rrugations of preferably equal or regular curvature upon each of the opposite sides of the intermediate point of the spring to which the. axle is secured, for the purpose of providing for and controlling the elongation and contraction of the spring as its curvature is increased and decreased during the rise and'fall Aof the vehicle upon its axle.

The result of this construction, especially when the sections of the spring leaf upon the opposite sides of the axle are of different lengths, is to insure an ease of riding over springs now in common use and comparable with the advantages of low pressure balloon tires over the earlier types of relatively high pressure tires, .at the same time' eliminating all wear and sound arising fromthe usual shackle connections, while'maintaining a substantially fixed transverse .position of the axle with respect tothe chassis frame and consequently vmaintaining a fixed fdistance from the axle or differential from the engine and lpower` transmission units of the usual motor car, as the axle or differential risesand falls Yin accordance withfirregularities of the of a single spring leaf of Vtion of a modified road surface and` differences in the loads carried. i In the modification of the invention, `a spring leaf is employed having a plurality of corrugations upon the opposite sides of the poi-nt of attachment of the axle, and the amplitude vof the corrugationsrof each series varying each regularity or irregularity in a given direction, while the load upon said spring leaf, if desired, may be partly shared by a second leaf preferably without corrugations, but also secured to the axle and at its end port-ions bearing slidably against said i'irst leaf adjacent to the fixed end portions of the latter, while the second leaf `also rests slidably against the apexes of the corrugations of said rst leaf if so desired.

With these and other objects in mind, the present invention comprises further details of construction .andoperation, which are fully brought out in the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical View showinga fragmentary portion of a vehicle vent'on connected operativelythereto; Fig. 2 is` a modified form of the device; Fig.r3 is a vertical transverse section Aon the line 3,-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a similar section on the line l-4 of Fig. 2,- and Fig. 5 is a side eleva- `form Vof spring embodying the vpresent invention.

eferringtoFigs 1 and 3, a portion of a chassis frame is shown as comprising a channel iron l, to which the opposite end portions Q'and 3 of a single spring leaf Aare se-V chassis frame and a spring comprising one embodimentv of the incured either ixedly or pivotally at 4, preferably through the medium of sound-deadening material while in order to prevent a shearing force being applied by the spring to the fastening means portions 6 of the channel iron l may be deflected outwardly in such manner that the springende 'abut directly against them.

The axleor axle casing 7 is secured in any y suitable manner, yasl fory instance by means of the U-bolt 8 and oppositely positioned plates 9v to an intermediate portion of the spring leaf preferablyto one side of the cenor Arugations inthe spring sections need ter of the leaf so that the leaf sections upon the opposite sides of said axle are of differentV lengths, with the result that they possess different periods of vibrations. It will then be noted that substantially the. central por that .as the axle risesV and falls with respectV to the chassis frame and the effective` length of the spring leaf alternately increases and decreases, each of the said corrugations flexes so as to take up its proportionate share of the` change in length of saidv spring.. l I l With this construction, since the ends of the' spring leaf are fixed withk respect to the v'chassis Vframe, the'rise and fall of the axle will under almost every condition remain in a substantially vertical plane, that is, a plane which is perpendicular to the general'plane of thesaidchassis fraine,withthc result that the distance between'th-e axle and the engine and theV usual transmission gearingI remains the same instead Vof increasing and decreasing'with Aevery up and down movement of the axleas is in general the case with the use 'of shackle mounts at either or both ends of the' spring. y 'l u Furthermore, inV addition to the spring sec tions being of different lengths, they may also be of different thicknesses orwidths Vor both in order to carry out still further lthe general principle 'of providing'in them different Vcharacteristic eriods "of vibrations. Likewise, the number and depth of the cor-l i i ynot be `identical ifl another relationship should be preferred. 1 Y

- Referring to Figs. 2 and4, Vit will be noted that the springsectionsV 11 and 12'are providedr each with corrugations 13 which vary in depth :or V amplitude progressively `in a Ygiven* direction solthat in addition to the vspringsectionsl themselves being of-different lengths Yand therefore having'di'fferentnaa Vto ' themselves iencyv in each spring ural periods of vibration-the corrugations have different factors of resilsection, a deeper `corru gation, generally speaking, tendency to collapse more yreadily than a corrugation of l"less depth.

lt will also be noted in this construction that a seconder auxiliary spring leaf-14 is provided, which together with theprincipal leaf, is secured 'tothe' axle lor axle casingV by means of suitably positionedjplatesl secured together and to said axle. by means This auxiliaryfleaf has its free'end portions 17 bearing slidably of bolts 16 or the like.

y 4against the ,under surfaces of the spring `sections 11l and,l

portions ofthe spring leaves-1 are prevented from relative transverse motion-:jby meansof leaf beyond the series 'mally supporting `posite 12, while the adjacent endVV any suitable clips 18 or the like. Otherwise, the major spring chassis frame as hereinbefore described.A Y In the operation of this embodiment of the invention, the auxiliary leaf 14 carries a ortion of the normal upper thrust of the axle i7 and distributes. such thrustv upon the opposite end portions ofthe major spring of corrugations 18. Additionally, if desired, this auxiliary leaf may rest upon the-lower-'apexes of the corrugations of each series so that in particular cases a substantially predetermined shape or curvature of the-:major spring is preserved as the axle risesl and falls so that there will be fno .tendency ofsaid maj or spring flexing proportionately more in the 'regions ofthe corrugations than throughoutv its -uncorru` gated regions.

Referring to Fig. 5, the channeliron leaf is mounted upon they spaced suporting portions 20 and 21, to which Y the opposite end portions of'a leaf` spring 22 Y are anchored either pivotallyor rigidly.and

in substantial alignment with the major portion of the fraine.- To the central. regionof said spring there is secured a bracket 23, northe axle QA, in any *well-Y known inannenr ySaid spring itself upon the forward side of the axle 24 is preferably straight so as to provide, in fact, a radius rod to maintain a fixed distance between the anchorage 20 and said axle, while the opsituated portion of said spring is provided series of corrugations 25, Ywhich if preferred either orvboth directions. u K

, This construction also leliminates the need for shackles and the axle 24 rises and falls about the 'anchorageQO `as an axis, vwhile-the may decrease in amplitude as they progressin with a wavy section comprisingy a.

ultimate contraction and elongation in the length ofjthe spring. is effected by theyieldi-ng nature of the corrugations 26. 4Furthermore, by making the forward portionofthe spring straight, it serves to prevent the'twist'-VY ing ofthe axle vwith der'brakin'g and power stresses.' Such constructions asv those hereinv described', embodying as they do single leaf, springs, provide the same road. clearanceras heretofore with a `lower car 'frame and body, and likewisepermit the lowering of resl'wect tof and 4separated from said vehicle he car without decreasing theamplitude. of free play of 'the spring, orY

respect to the frame un-k -r'iiiv lia by a vibration-absorbing medium, an axle connected to an intermediate portion of said spring, the opposite portions of said spring being shaped so overall lengths to vary with the rise and fall of said axle With respect to said vehicle, and a spring leaf also connected to said axle and With its free end portions bearing slidably against said rst spring in the neighborhood fall of said axle With respect to said vehicle, and a spring leaf also connected to said axle and with its free end portions bearing slidably against said rst spring in the neighborhood of its fixed ends.

3. The combination of a vehicle, with a spring having its opposite ends xed with respect to and separated from said vehicle by a vibration-absorbing medium, an axle connected to an intermediate portion of said spring, Vthe opposite portions of saidv spring being provided With corrugations to permit their respective overall lengths to vary with the rise and fall of said axle with respect to said vehicle, and a spring leaf also connected to said axle, extending across said corrugations and slidably cooperating with said spring bet-Ween its corrugations and xed ends.

4l. The combination of a vehicle, with a spring having its opposite ends fixed with refipect to and separated from said vehicle by a vibration-absorbing medium, an axle connected to an intermediate portion of said spring, the opposite portions of said spring being provided with corrugations of different amplitudes varying in a given direction t0 permit their respective overall lengths to vary With the rise and fall of said axle with respect to said vehicle, and a spring leaf also connected to said axle, extending across said corrugations 4and slidably cooperating With said spring between its corrugations and fixed ends.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

THOMAS MUN RO.

as to permit their respective to permit their respective overall lengths to vary with the rise and 

